South Western RBD

Transitional and Coastal Waters

Action Programme

Name South Western RBD Transitional and Coastal Waters Action Plan Length of Coastline 2044km (Mainland); 731km (Islands)

Main Counties Kerry, Cork, Waterford.

Protected Areas

21 Bathing Waters; Barley Cove, Tragumna, Fountainstown, Garrylucas White Strand, Warren, Rossbeigh White Strand, Inch, Ventry, White Strand Caherciveen, Kells, Ballinskelligs, Derrynane, Inny Waterville, Coolmaine, Redbarn, Garryvoe, Garrettstown, Youghal Main Beach, Inchydoney, Claycastle, Owenahincha 20 Shellfish Waters; Castletownbere, Kenmare River/Sneem/Ardgroom, Valentia Harbour, Ballymacoda Bay, Rostellan South, Rostellan North, Rostellan West, Cork Great Island North Channel, Oyster Haven, Baltimore Harbour/Sherkin, Dunmanus Inner, Bantry Bay South, League Point, Adrigole Harbour, Kinsale, Kilmakillogue, Roaringwater, Cromane, Bantry, Glengarriff. 6 Nutrient Sensitive Waters; Blackwater Estuary Upper, Bandon Estuary Upper, Blackwater Estuary Lower, Lee Estuary / Lough Mahon, Owennacurra Estuary / North Channel, Bandon Estuary Lower. In addition Clonakilty Harbour is a proposed Nutrient Sensitive Water designation within the recent amendments to the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations 2001 (SI 48 of 2010) 12 SPA; Ballycotton Bay, Ballymacoda bay, Blackwater Estuary, Blasket Islands SPA, Castlemaine Harbour SPA, Clonakilty Bay SPA, Cork Harbour, Old Head of Kinsale SPA, Puffin Island, Skelligs SPA, Sovereign Islands SPA, The Bull and The Cow Rocks SPA. 30 SAC; Ballymacoda (Clonpriest And Pillmore), Glengarriff Harbour And Woodland, Clonakilty Bay, Lough Hyne Nature Reserve And Environs, Roaringwater Bay And Islands, Sheep'S Head, Three Castle Head To Mizen Head, Ballinskelligs Bay And Inny Estuary, Castlemaine Harbour, Old Domestic Building Dromore Wood, Barley Cove To Ballyrisode Point, Cleanderry Wood, Great Island Channel, Kilkeran Lake And Castlefreke Dunes, Myross Wood, Courtmacsherry Estuary, Cloonee And Inchiquin Loughs Uragh Wood, Mucksna Wood, Castletownshend, Glanmore Bog, Ardmore Head, Kenmare River, Blasket Islands, Drongawn Lough, Farranamanagh Lough, Valencia Harbour/Portmagee Channel, Dunbeacon Shingle, Reen Point Shingle.

STATUS/IMPACTS Overall status There are 43 Transitional Waterbodies within this RBD; 3 high, 1 good, 25 moderate

status, the remainder are unassigned. There are 27 Coastal Waterbodies within this RBD; 6 high, 2 good, 5 moderate status, the remainders are unassigned.

Status elements

Moderate (or less) water bodies with monitoring data indicating the test determining below good status classification are as follows: Lower Blackwater M Estuary / Youghal Harbour BOD, phytoplankton biomass, opportunistic macroalgae

Upper Blackwater M Estuary DO, phytoplankton biomass

Cork Harbour DIN North Channel Great Island DO Lower Bandon Estuary DO, BOD, phytoplankton biomass, specific pollutants Upper Bandon Estuary DO, BOD, phytoplankton biomass Argideen Estuary DO, fish, opportunistic macroalgae Roaring Water Bay Specific pollutants Lough Mahon (Harper’s Island) Fish

Kilmakilloge Harbour fish, specific pollutants Cromane DO, phytoplankton biomass, specific pollutants Castlemaine Harbour BOD

PRESSURES/RISKS LAND BASED PRESSURES

Pressure Based Risk Assessment results (2008) identify the following waterbodies as at risk from land based point source pressures:

Transitional Risk Test Identified as "at risk" or "probably at risk"

Upper Bandon Estuary Point Source - WWTPs, Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows.

Argideen Estuary Point Source - WWTPs, Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows.

Sneem Harbour Point Source - WWTPs, Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows.

Castlemaine Harbour

Point Source - WWTPs,Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows and IPPC

Inner Bantry Bay Point Source - WWTPs Lower Blackwater M Estuary/Youghal Harbour

Point Source - WWTPs, Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows.

North Channel Great Island Point Source - WWTPs

Ilen Estuary Point Source - WWTPs, Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows.

Lower Bandon Estuary Point Source - WWTPs, Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows.

Lough Mahon (Harper's Island) Point Source - WWTPs Owenboy Estuary Point Source - Combined Sewer Overflows

Ferta Point Source - Combined Sewer Overflows Cromane Point Source - Combined Sewer Overflows Owenacurra Estuary Point Source - Combined Sewer Overflows Rosscarbery Harbour Point Source - Combined Sewer Overflows Clonakilty Harbour Point Source - Combined Sewer Overflows Lough Mahon Point Source - Combined Sewer Overflows Lee (Cork) Estuary Upper Point Source - Combined Sewer Overflows Lee (Cork) Estuary Lower Point Source - Combined Sewer Overflows

Coastal Risk Test Identified as "at risk" or "probably at risk"

Outer Cork Harbour Point Source - WWTPs

Cork Harbour Point Source – WWTPs and Section 4 Licensed Discharges

Roaring Water Bay Point Source - WWTPs Berehaven Point Source – WWTPs Ballinskelligs Bay Point Source – WWTPs

Pressure Based Risk Assessment results (2005) identifies the following waterbodies as at risk from land based diffuse pressures (nutrient input):

Transitional Risk Test Identified as "at risk" or "probably at risk"

Slatty Bridge, Fota Island Point Source - WWTPs

Lough Mahon

Point Source - Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows, IPPC, Section 4 local authority licenced discharges and Nutrient Input

Lough Mahon (Harper’s Island) Nutrient Input

Upper Blackwater Estuary

Point Source - WWTPs and Section 4 local authority licenced discharges and Nutrient Input

Glashaboy Estuary Point Source – WWTPs, IPPC and Section 4 local authority licenced discharges

Owenboy Estuary Point Source – WWTPs

Upper Bandon Estuary Point source- Section 4 Local Authority licenced discharges and Nutrient Input

Argideen Estuary Point Source – WWTPs

Glandore Harbour Point Source – WWTPs and Section 4 local authority licenced discharges

Sneem Harbour Point Source – WWTPs and Section 4 local authority licenced discharges

Castlemaine Harbour Point Source – WWTPs

Inner Bantry Bay Point Source – Section 4 local authority licenced discharges

Ferta Point Source – Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows

Cromane

Point Source – WWTPs, Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows and Nutrient Input

Lower Blackwater Estuary/Youghal Harbour

Point Source – Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows and Nutrient Input

Owenacurra Estuary

Point Source – Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows , Section 4 Local Authority licenced discharges and Nutrient Input

Ilen Estuary

Point Source – WWTPs, Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows, Section 4 Local Authority licenced discharges

Rosscarbery Harbour Point Source – Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows

Lower Bandon Estuary

Point Source – Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows, Section 4 Local Authority licenced discharges and Nutrient Input

Clonakilty Harbour Point Source – Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows

Lee (Cork) Estuary Upper

Point Source – Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows, Section 4 Local Authority licenced discharges and Nutrient Input

Lee (Cork) Estuary Lower Point Source – Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows and Nutrient Input

North Channel Great Island Nutrient Input

Blackwater K Estuary Nutrient Input

Coastal Risk Test Identified as "at risk" or "probably at risk"

Clogheen Strand Point Source - Combined Sewer Overflows & Treatment Plant Overflows

Cork harbour Nutrient Input

Outer Kenmare River Nutrient Input Further detail on the land based pressures which affect marine waters in this RBD, such as WWTP discharges, septic tanks, and agriculture are detailed in the following Water Management Unit Action Plans:

Transitional/Coastal Water Body Relevant Water Management Unit Action Plan

Womanagh Estuary Womanagh WMU Owenboy Estuary Lower Lee Owenboy / Brandon Stick WMU Oysterhaven Bandon Stick WMU Glandore Harbour Skibereen Clonakilty WMU Glengarriff Harbour Glengarriff WMU Adrigole Harbour Glengarriff / Beara Penninsula WMU Blackwater K EStuary Blackwater Kerry WMU Sneem Harbour Sneem Cummeraghinny WMU

Inner Bantry Bay Glengarrif / InnerBantry Bay / Bantry Bay South Dunmanus Bay WMUs

Ferta South Dingle Bay WMU Slatty Bridge, Fota Island Owennacurra WMU Lough Beg / Curraghbinny Lower Lee Owenboy WMU Farranamagh Lough Bantry Bay South Dunmanus Bay WMU Reenydonagan Lough Inner Bantry Bay WMU Oysterhaven Lake, Clashroe Bandon Stick WMU Kilkeran Lake Skibbereen Clonakilty WMU Kilmore Lake, Whiddy Island -- Drongawn Lough, Sneem Sneem Cummeraghinny WMU

Lackaroe (Glendine Estuary) Blackwater Estuary WMU Cuskinny Lake -- Rosscarbery Harbour Skibereen Clonakilty WMU Rostellan Lake Womanagh WMU Clonakilty Harbour Skibereen Clonakilty WMU Reen Point Pool Bantry Bay South Dunmanus Bay WMU

Lissagriffin Lake Bantry Bay South Dunmanus Bay / Skibereen Clonakilty WMU

Lough Mahon (Harper's Island) Owennacurra WMU Ballycotton Bay Womanagh WMU Courtmacsherry Bay Bandon Stick / Skibereen Clonakilty WMU Dunmanus Bay Bantry Bay South Dunmanus Bay WMU

Outer Bantry Bay Beara Penninsula / Glengarriff / Bantry Bay South Dunmanus Bay WMU

Berehaven Beara Penninsula WMU Portmagee Channel South Dingle Bay WMU Valencia Harbour South Dingle Bay WMU Outer Dingle Bay North Dingle Penninsula / South Dingle Bay WMUs Dingle Harbour North Dingle Penninsula WMUs Ballinskelligs Bay Sneem Cummeraghinny WMU Roaring Water Bay Skibbereen Clonakilty WMU Fastnet Waters --

Western Celtic Sea (HAs 18;19;20) Skibbereen Clonakilty / Bandon Stick / Womanagh WMUs

Raffeen Lake, Shanbally Lower Lee Owenboy WMU Inchydoney Skibbereen Clonakilty WMU White's Marsh Skibbereen Clonakilty WMU Clonakilty Bay Skibbereen Clonakilty WMU Rosscarbery Bay Skibbereen Clonakilty WMU Kinsale Marsh, Commoge Bandon Stick WMU Clogheen Strand Skibbereen Clonakilty WMU Ballyrisode Bridge Lagoon Skibbereen Clonakilty WMU

South Western Atlantic Seaboard (HAs 21;22)

South Dingle Bay / Sneem Cummeraghinny / Beara Penninsula / Bantry Bay Dunmanus Bay / Skibbereen Clonakilty WMUs

Youghal Bay Womanagh / Blackwater Estuary WMUs Lower Blackwater M Estuary / Youghal Harbour Womanagh / Blackwater Estuary WMUs

Upper Blackwater M Estuary Blackwater Estuary WMU Outer Cork Harbour Bandon Stick / Womanagh WMU North Channel Great Island Owennacurra WMU Owenacurra Estuary Owennacurra WMU Lough Mahon Lower Lee Owenboy / Owencurra WMUs Glashaboy Estuary Lower Lee Owenboy / Owencurra WMUs Lee (Cork) Estuary Lower Lower Lee Owenboy WMU Lee (Cork) Estuary Upper Lower Lee Owenboy WMU Kinsale Harbour Bandon Stick WMU Lower Bandon Estuary Bandon Stick WMU Upper Bandon Estuary Bandon Stick WMU Argideen Estuary Skibbereen Clonakilty / Bandon Stick WMUs Ilen Estuary Skibbereen Clonakilty WMU

Outer Kenmare River Sneem Cummeraghinny / Blackwater Kerry / Roughty Finniy / Sheen glengarriff / Beara Penninsula / Beara North WMUs

Kilmakilloge Harbour Bear Penninsula / Beara North WMU Inner Kenmare River Roughty Finnihy / Sheen WMUs

Cromane North Dingle Penninsula / Laune / Caragh / South Dingle Bay WMUs

Castlemaine Harbour North Dingle Penninsula / Laune WMUs

Ardgroom Beara North WMU Cork Harbour Lower Lee Owenboy / Womanagh WMUs

Transitional and coastal water bodies where Shellfish designations are located will also include more detail in the relevant Pollution Reduction Programmes. http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterQuality/ShellfishWaterDirective/ShellfishWatersDraftCharacterisationReportsandPRPs/

MARINE PRESSURES

Morphology Pressure Based Risk Assessment results (2008) identify the following waterbodies as at risk from morphological pressures: Rosscarbery Harbour: High impact shoreline reinforcement is the most significant risk. Clonakilty Harbour: Extensive shoreline reinforcement is the main contributing risk factor. Lough Mahon (Harper's Island): Embankments and shoreline protection. Lower Blackwater M Estuary / Youghal Harbour: Shoreline reinforcement and embankments towards the mouth of the Estuary Owenacurra Estuary: Lough Mahon: HMWB with extensive shoreline reinforcement and some embankments. Glashaboy Estuary: Lee (Cork) Estuary Lower: HMWB with extensive shoreline reinforcement. Lee (Cork) Estuary Upper: Lower Bandon Estuary: Port activities, shoreline reinforcement and shellfish dredging. Berehaven: The most significant pressures identified as impacting on this water body are low impact dredging associated with maintenance of the shipping channel and shellfish dredging. White's Marsh: Creation of impoundments in Clonakilty Bay and Harbour has resulted in the formation of the 'Island Strand Intake'. Clogheen Strand: Land claim is the most significant risk as the majority of this water body is in-filled. Cork Harbour: HMWB due to port activities.

Aquaculture

There are 368 licensed aquaculture areas in the SWRBD. The waterbodies with aquaculture areas: Cromane Outer Dingle Bay Valencia Harbour Portmagee Channel Outer Kenmore River Ardgroom Kilmakilloge harbour Berehaven Adrigole Harbour Glengarriff Harbour Outer Bantry Bay Inner Bantry Bay Dunmanus Bay Roaring Water Bay Ilen Estuary Lower Bandon Estuary Oysterhaven Cork Harbour North Channel Great Island Youghan Bay South Western Atlantic Seaboard Lower Blackwater M Estuary / Youghal Harbour Outer Cork Harbour Argideen Estuary

Shellfish Production Figures (provided by Bord Iascaigh Mhara):

Shellfish Volume (t) Year Value (€) Location

Rope Mussel 871 - 695,910 Kenmare River Gigas/Scallop 15 - 37,500 Kenmare River

Rope Mussel 716 - 542,930 Kilmakillogue Harbour

Rope Mussel/abalone 409.5 - 353,055 Castletownbere

(Berehaven) Gigas Oyster 10 2007 22,000 Dunmanus Bay Rope Mussel 350 - 273,000 Dunmanus Bay Gigas Oyster 74 2007 151,000 Oysterhaven

Gigas Oyster 180 2007 402,570 Ballymacoda Bay

(Youghal Bay) SELECTED ACTION PROGRAMME Bathing Waters Shellfish Waters Water Pollution Acts & Water Services Act & IPPC AND Foreshore

The Bathing Water Quality Regulations (SI 79 of 2008) which transposed the new Bathing Waters Directive (2006/7/EC) establishes a new classification system for bathing water quality and require monitoring and management plans to preserve, protect and improve the quality of bathing waters. Local Authority responsibilities are: Identify bathing waters. Monitor and classify bathing water quality status. Develop Bathing Waters Management Plans, including any necessary measures, to achieve bathing water quality standards. Disseminate bathing water quality information to the public. Guidance is being prepared in the preparation of management plans to minimise risk to bathers and human health. Where water quality problems exist, preventative and remedial action must be taken. Measures are included in the Pollution Reduction Programmes under the Quality of Shellfish Waters Regulations. DAFF licence shellfish growing areas under the under the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1997 Aquaculture: Aquaculture is regulated and licensed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; local authorities control discharge licenses for fin fish farms. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government makes shellfish pollution reduction programmes which provide general water quality protection. A multi-department Marine Coordination Group has recently been established to ensure ongoing co-ordination of marine management activities and application of Appropriate Assessment through strengthened regulation; and coordination of biodiversity issues at an EU level. Local Authority Licensing of trade effluent to surface waters (under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts 1977 – 1990) include discharges to transitional and coastal waters IPPC licensed discharges under the integrated pollution prevention control directive and Environmental Protection Agency Acts Foreshore Acts – development under the mean High Water Mark within transitional and coastal waters are subject to control under the Foreshore Acts.

Birds and Habitats directive Urban Wastewater Treatment Morphology (Controls on Physical Modifications)

Key provisions of the habitat regulations introduced under these directives allow for the DEHLG to control damaging activities within and outside designated sites. All planned projects not necessary for the management of the Natura 2000 network will be subject to appropriate assessment under Article 6 of the habitats Directive The Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations (S.I No. 254 of 2001) deal with the collection, treatment and discharge of urban wastewater and wastewater from certain industrial sectors. Transitional and coastal waters receive direct discharges from wastewater treatment plants and industry. Controls under these Regulations and the Environmental Objectives Regulations will provide the basis for deciding on appropriate treatment required to meet the objectives of the WFD. In addition Wastewater Discharge Authorisation Regulations (S.I. No. 684 of 2007) require Local Authorities to hold a licence from the EPA authorising a discharge for WWTPs >500pe (or a certificate in the case of agglomerations <500pe). Marine morphological impacts can impact ecological standards. Ireland’s existing planning and development controls and marine licensing systems provide a general level of control for new development. The DEHLG is considering the introduction of new regulations to control physical modifications in our surface waters which may involve an authorisation system where low risk activities may simply be registered and higher risk works would be subject to more detailed assessment and more prescriptive licences.

OBJECTIVES Protect / Restore 2015 7 transitional and 9 coastal water bodies Alternative Objectives Extended Deadlines (2021) 22 transitional and 4 coastal water bodies-

New Modifications – none HMWB – Lee (Cork) Estuary Lower, Lough Mahon, Cork Harbour.

TRANSTIONAL

58%

2%7%

33%

High Status Good Status Moderate or Less Status Status Unassigned

COASTAL

22%

19%

7%

52%

High Status Good Status Moderate or Less Status Status Unassigned

Transitional Water Bodies Status

Coastal Water Bodies Status

Glossary & Abbreviations Biodiversity: Word commonly used for biological diversity and defined as

assemblage of living organisms from all habitats including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part.

BOD Biological Oxygen Demand

Coastal waters: That area of surface water on the landward side of a line, every point of which is at a distance of one nautical mile on the seaward side from the nearest point of the baseline from which the breadth of territorial waters is measured, extending where appropriate up to the outer limit of transitional waters.

DAFF: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

DEHLG: Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

DETE: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Diffuse sources (of pollution):

Non-point sources primarily associated with run-off and other discharges related to different land uses such as agriculture and forestry, from septic tanks associated with rural dwellings and from the land spreading of industrial, municipal and agricultural wastes.

DO Dissolved Oxygen

EC: European Commission

Ecological status: An expression of the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems associated with surface waters. Such waters are classified as being of good ecological status when they meet the requirements of the Water Framework Directive.

Ecology: The study of the relationships among organisms and between those organisms and their non-living environment.

EPA: Environmental Protection Agency.

EU: European Union

Good status: A collective term used to refer to the status achieved by a surface water body when both its ecological status and its chemical status are at least good or, for groundwater, when both its quantitative status and chemical status are at least good.

HMWB (Heavily modified water body):

A water body that has been changed substantially in character as a result of physical alterations by human activity.

Inland surface waters: All standing or flowing water on the surface of the land (such as reservoirs, lakes, rivers) on the landward side of the baseline from which the breadth of territorial waters is measured.

Macroalgae Multicellular algae such as seaweeds and filamentous algae.

Mitigation measures: Measures to avoid, prevent, minimise, reduce or, as fully as possible, offset or compensate for any significant adverse effects on the environment, as a result of implementing a plan or programme.

On-site system: Septic tank or other system for treating wastewater from unsewered properties.

Opportunistic One of the elements used in classification of Ecological Status of transitional and coastal waters measured by spatial extent and

Macroalgae biomass of macroalgae. While these algae are natural components

of estuarine systems and play important roles in several estuarine processes, macroalgal blooms are of ecological concern because they can reduce the habitat quality.

Phytoplankton Solitary and colonial unicellular algae and cyanobacteria that live in the water column, at least for part of their lifecycle.

Phytoplankton Biomass

One of the elements used in classification of Ecological Status of transitional and coastal waters measured by the total weight of phytoplankton, a free-floating flora, at a given time per unit area.

PRP Pollution reduction programme

Programme of measures:

Those actions, defined in detail, which are required to achieve the environmental objectives of the Directive within a river basin district.

Protected area Water protected by European legislation including drinking waters, shellfish waters, bathing waters, urban wastewater nutrient sensitive areas or sites designated as Special areas of Conservation or Special Protected Areas

River Basin District (RBD) & International River Basin District (IRBD):

Administrative area for coordinated water management, composed of multiple river basins (or catchments), with cross-border basins (i.e. those covering the territory of more than one Member State) assigned to an international RBD.

River basin The area of land from which all surface water run-off flows, through a sequence of streams, rivers and lakes into the sea at a single river mouth, estuary or delta.

SERBD South Eastern River Basin District

Special Area of Conservation (SAC):

Site designated according to the Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora).

Special Protection Area (SPA):

Area designated under the European Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.

Statutory Instrument (SI):

Any order, regulation, rule, scheme or bye-law made in exercise of a power conferred by statute.

Surface water Inland waters on the land surface (such as reservoirs, lakes, rivers, transitional waters, coastal waters) within a river basin.

Transitional waters Bodies of surface water in the vicinity of river mouths which are partly saline in character as a result of their vicinity to coastal waters, but which are substantially influenced by freshwater flows.

Water body A coherent sub-unit in the river basin (district) to which the environmental objectives of the directive must apply. Hence, the main purpose of identifying “water bodies” is to enable the status to be accurately described and compared to environmental objectives

Water Framework Directive (WFD)

The Water Framework Directive is European legislation that promotes a new approach to water management through river basin planning. It covers inland surface waters, estuarine waters, coastal waters and groundwater.

WMU Water Management Unit – geographical sub unit of a river basin district

WWTP Waste Water Treatment Plant